I Remember
by kaoricatcher
Summary: Its been 17 months since he last saw her, but his face still feels warm from the memory of her touch. Why can't he remember? Post ch. 459.
1. I Remember

Author's Note: This takes place right after the battles with the Fullbringers and was inspired by the recent manga chapters. I'm writing this to pull me over the drought of Ichi/Ruki interaction that has been going on for the last couple of months in Bleach. It's finally not sucking but we still have to wait until the Fullbringer vs. Shinigami battles are done. My goal is for this to be an Action/Adventure/ Romance story.

This is an update of Chapter 1. The mistakes I made in this chapter is now corrected. Thank you DameM for being my beta. You made this chapter better!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Mr. Tite Kubo et al owns it.

Chapter 1: I Remember

"What a waste of time," Ikkaku remarked. "I thought I was going to die of boredom fighting that guy."

"Troublesome," Toushiro commented.

"Che, took all of you long enough. Hey Kuchiki! Why didn't you switch with me?" Kenpachi shouted.

Byakuya Kuchiki responded with a just a hint of a smile. Inwardly he grimaced. _It was way too easy. I need to update the soutaicho and all the captains as soon as we get back to the Soul Society._ "The battle would definitely have been a bore to you. I doubt you would have had the skill or patience for it."

"What did you say, Kuchiki? I'll kill you!" Everyone sweat dropped. Those familiar with the two captains could see through their rugged interaction to the obvious "friendly" camaraderie between the two.

"Hey, you're pretty quiet Renji. Was your battle crappy like mine?" asked Ikkaku.

Renji glanced at his oil stained hands. The expression on that woman's face before the explosion flickered through his mind. _I can't believe it. She blew herself up to get me out of that place._

"Hmph," was the only response uttered from his lips.

"Where's Ichi and that arrow guy?" popped the pink haired vice-captain from behind Kenpachi.

* * *

><p>"Watch your back Kurosaki!" Ishida yelled.<p>

"Getsuga Tensho!" shouted Ichigo as he dodges an attack from behind. "Thanks for the warning!" _I need to get this battle over quickly. That little midget has a lot of explaining to do._ He deepened his scowl and shunpoed behind Ginjo.

* * *

><p>"<em>Achoo!<em>" Rukia rubbed her nose absently while she went in circles in the cushioned playroom.

"Where are you...?" Rukia shouted. "Don't think you can distract me with all...this!" This wasn't the type of battle she thought she would be thrown into, especially after all the training she'd been doing. Just as the thought passed through her mind, she quickly moved her head to the side. A heart tipped dart zipped passed her left cheek, missing it by only a few millimeters.

"Oh, so you _are_ paying attention."

A girl with pig tails, maroon hair and a cute bunny cap emerged from the confines of the playroom_. I must ask her where she got her cap. _Rukia quickly shook her head from side to side. _Baka, now is not the time to think of things like that. _A memory of Ichigo handing her matching rabbit ears he bought while they were at a festival entered her mind. _Now is _definitely_ not the time to think of things like that._

"Oi! You still there? Should I shoot again?"

Before Rukia could respond, the girl with the bunny cap continued. "I don't want do this stupid fight. I didn't want Ginjo to give me powers he stole from Ichigo Kurosaki. Stupid Ginjo! He never listens. I hope he gets his butt kicked."

Stunned, Rukia asked, "Why are you here? What's Ichigo to you?" The latter question could be taken many different ways.

"Ha! That's something I want to ask you! You guys look _way_ too suspicious. There's no way a hottie like him would be involved with you like_ that_."

Rukia smirked back at the pig-tailed girl. This girl was obviously attracted to Ichigo. _Ichigo, you better be okay. _Annoyed, Rukia let out a huge huff at the distracting thoughts of concern. _Focus, there's plenty of time to think of him later. _Ironic, as that was exactly what she had been trying not to do for the past seventeen months.

Focusing back to the girl in front of her, Rukia retorted, "Like what? What Ichigo and I are to each other is none of your business. Let's end this and find a way out of here. I don't want to be stuck in here forever."

Just as the words passed Rukia's lips, the cute stuffed animal filled room began to break down and the outside world came into view. Quickly, Rukia grabbed the nearest stuffed bunny and caterpillar just before they disappeared with the room.

"Oh, ho! Took you long enough," Renji greeted. However, his demeanor quickly changed as a girl emerged from behind Rukia.

Noticing the changed expression from Renji had everyone's hand on their Zanpakutous, she responded quickly to him. "Idiot. Can't you see that she's obviously not interested in fighting us?"

Renji looked at the girl with the maroon hair holding a toy… gun? _It's a gun, right? I think I remember Shuuhei showing me pictures of guns that shoot water and various other things._ "What the heck, Rukia? We're supposed to defeat our enemies not _play _with them."

"Shut up. She's coming with us. We can hold her for questioning later when we get back to the Soul Society."

"I'm not going anywhere with you! Not if you're going to talk about me like that!" the maroon haired girl shouted. _But maybe I'll go if that red haired hunk asks me. _She stared at the tall red haired Shinigami and glared at the short haired girl that acted so friendly towards Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Like hell you're not!" Renji shouted at her.

_Close enough_. "Fine, but I demand to be treated like a guest and I won't say a word till I speak with Ichigo Kurosaki."

A big boom suddenly shocked everyone. Two figures were seen shattering through the final game room created by the kid with the video game themed Fullbring powers. Left standing in the air was Ginjo. "Ha, the battle stops here. Next time we meet all your powers will be mine and I will scatter the remains of your destroyed body in front of your friends and family!" With that clichéd statement, a rip opened in the sky and Ginjo disappeared into what appeared to be Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo pushed a big piece of cement off his chest. _Ugh. That sucked. _Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, trying to blink the blurriness out of his vision. He felt someone pull him out of the rubble. His vision finally cleared and in slow motion Rukia materialized over him and was shouting at him. He saw Ishida hobbling while being supported by Renji out of the corner of his eye. _Good, he seems okay. _He grimaced as waves of pain passed through his body. Flashbacks of the winter battle seventeen months ago rushed through his mind. _Ginjo, I won't let you hurt my friends again. I won't let this turn into another Aizen battle. Chad, Inoue, Ishida, I promise I will be strong enough to protect you from ever being hurt again. _He remembered Rukia's sad expression as she left through the Senkaimon. _And I will never hurt you again...Rukia._

"Ichigo! Ichigo! Are you okay? Idiot, say something!"

_That voice. I was unable to hear that voice for the past seventeen months. _"Ouch! Shut up, midget! You're too loud." Ichigo grabbed her hands from where they shaking his shoulders and clasped her small hands between his.

_Rukia. This is Rukia that's yelling and shaking me. _He gasped at the sudden flash of memories that rushed through his mind at her touch. _Oh, you are not getting away this time. _Ichigo pulled Rukia down centimeters away from his face. Her soft black hair slipped towards his face from behind her ears, tickling his checks.

"I'm not letting you go again, Rukia. You will never use that memory modifier thing on me again." Eyes pierced deep into hers and he fought against the black fog clouding his vision. In a whisper he said, "I remember."

Next Chapter: Remembering Hurts. Please R&R. -_- Y.


	2. Remembering is Painful

Thank you **KrissyFitzer**, **Kaze05** and **Miyumi** for the reviews. I appreciate your support. Also, thank you to all who have read chapter one and those who decided to add me to their story and/or favorite author alert. You guys are wonderful. Please look forward to my future chapters. I will do my best! Don't hesitate to let me know what you think about my story. I look forward to your reviews. -_-Y

I want to acknowledge and thank DameM for her help. You are awesome and I'm so happy you are my beta reader!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Mr. Tite Kubo et al owns it.

Chapter Two-Remembering is Painful

Rukia's hands slipped from Ichigo's grip to hang at her sides. She stared at his unconscious body; panic swelling up inside and threatening to overtake her body. She still felt the intensity from Ichigo's fierce and determined eyes. Those eyes had caused an overwhelming wave of pain and regret in her. She had taken away their last moments together against his will. _What does he remember? I betrayed him. _Without thinking she had ran to his side to help him, heal him, to hold him up. _No, I don't have that right anymore. I don't have the right to help him-to touch him. The fact that I may have helped him restore his powers doesn't change the fact that I'm no better than that guy that turned Inoue and Chad against him. _She gripped the front of her shihakusho with her hands. Her knuckles turned white from her tightened fists and her hands threatened to bleed from the pressure of her nails against her skin.

"Hey, Rukia, are you going to heal him or what?" Renji asked as he passed Ishida over to a fourth squad medical specialist. Renji noticed her small frame go rigid. He had tried to make light of the situation by teasing her with that question. Unfortunately, he had just made the situation worse. The last year and a half or so he tried to be the rock for her to fall on. He had hoped she would rely and depend on him completely like she had with Ichigo. She'd replied sharply each time he'd asked her; saying that she was fine and could take care of herself. Renji always held back a sigh. _She's so stubborn. Anyone can see how she's_ _not fine at all._

"I...He's in better care now. Fourth squad can heal him better than I can," Rukia replied hesitantly. Her voice was filled with concern, worry, and a touch of regret.

"What are you going to do?" Renji asked. "He said he remembers. You can't just use the memory modifier on him again. He won't let you and I doubt it will work anyway." Renji looked over at Ichigo's body as members of the Fourth squad worked to heal his very much damaged body.

"It doesn't matter. After what I did to him I don't have the right to-" Rukia stopped herself from finishing her sentence. She hadn't spent the last seventeen months stopping herself from thinking about Ichigo to suddenly explain everything to Renji. Her resolve had broken several times within that period and that had cost her and Ichigo dearly. It hurt more that she had caused Ichigo pain. "What happened between us no longer matters. Ichigo will have to let it go."

"Ha! I seriously doubt that he's going to just let it go." Renji replied. He held back another remark when Rukia turned around and glared at him.

"Renji, he _will_ let it go." Rukia's voiced cracked at the end of her sentence. Shamed at her loss of control, she turned around and walked toward everyone else. _He _has _to let it go._

* * *

><p>Ichigo heard chatter around him but couldn't distinguish out all the voices. Someone had healed the wounds he received from his fight with Ginjo. He wanted to discuss-no demand an explanation from Rukia. <em>I'm not going to let her run away from this. <em>Fighting to remain conscious he succumbed to sleep remembering his last memory with Rukia.

_She stood in front of him in her gigai, her bright violet_ _eyes filled with determination and sadness. "Rukia?" he asked. He'd always been able to tell what she was feeling. If only he could sense her reiatsu. _

"_I have to do this, Ichigo," she said. She pulled a familiar object from her pocket. "It's not fair to you. I have to go and you have to move on."_

"_I am moving on," he argued, dread filling him._

"_No, you're not. You're struggling to get back the powers you've lost. There's no telling when or if you will ever get them back. As long as I'm here, you'll never have that normal life you've always said you wanted."_

"_Screw the 'normal' life," he shot back, his anger rising. She was taking the easy way out. After all they'd been through together, she was going to leave and take these new memories of her, of them,_ _with her._

"_Ichigo, this is for the best."_

_She had been bringing up the subject the entire time they'd been together. He wondered if someone from Soul Society had found out about them. Anger and hurt built_ _up in his chest and he instantly regretted the following words that_ _rushed out of him. "Fine! Leave if you hate being here so much! If you felt this way, maybe you shouldn't have stayed to begin with!"_

_Tears welled in Rukia's eyes and he hated himself for it. He wanted to pull_ _her to him and tell her he didn't mean what he just said. _

"_See? It hurts and I don't want you to have all this pain," Rukia replied, fighting to stop the shakiness in_ _her voice. She brought her arm_ _up and readied the device. "I promise you that if we ever see each other again, it will be when you have your powers back."_

"_No! Rukia, don't you realize _you'll _remember? Rukia!-" Ichigo yelled. The last things he remembered were a puff of smoke and a whispered goodbye._

_Rukia! _Ichigo thought suddenly. He felt the familiar bed he was lying on. _I'm in my room_, he thought, hearing the shuffling of voices were clearer now and he kept his eyes closed to identify them better.

"Onii-chan still looks like he's hurt!" A sweet, young voice said.

"It's okay; I can see that he's starting to move." Another young voice answered the first. _Yuzu? Karin?_

"Hey! My lazy son, wake up already!" an older voice said. _That one I definitely know._

"Do I need to punch you awake, Ichigo?" another asked. _Renji?_

"Forget it. He's obviously still not recovered yet," still yet another commented. _Ishida, that's right_. _I was fighting Ginjo with Ishida. _

"Idiot! How long are you going to keep sleeping?" Rukia asked, her voice covered in annoyance.

_Rukia! _he thought again. He shot up in his bed and stared at everyone squished into his room around him. Friends and family, both Shinigami and human, were there.

"Yay! He's finally awake, Ken-chan!" the eleventh squad lieutenant yelled with excitement. Her hair now sported a crossed bones clip.

"Che, you're still getting the crap beaten out of you," Kenpachi remarked.

Ichigo stared at everyone before looking down at himself. He was wearing a shihakusho. _My powers. They're really back. _

Rukia looked at him. "Yes, your Shinigami powers are really back. The sword the soutaicho requested Urahara make was designed to transfer Shinigami powers back to you. We all poured our reiatsu into it. The remnants of your reiatsu welled deep within you came out after that," she explained. "Look at your Zanpakuto."

He looked over at Zangetsu. The spirit sword was leaning against the wall. It was still a cleaver, but bigger, the hilt now brandishing two black chains. It reminded him of his bankai. Come to think of it, his Soul Cutter looked like a combination of his bankai and shikai.

"_Ichigo," _a voice whispered deep in his soul.

"_Zangetsu. You got an upgrade," _he responded.

"Ohya? That was a close one," a man wearing a familiar green and white striped hat said. "Urahara-san?" Ichigo asked slowly. Shaken out of his reverie, Ichigo looked at the man in front of him.

"Kurosaki-san!" Urahara-san exclaimed with a quick swipe of his fan. "Your powers are back but still unstable. Yes, they are here to stay, but we need to watch it for a while till you get the hang of things again," he finished seriously.

"Yamamoto-soutaicho has requested you come to the Soul Society for a while to train. Once you get stronger you can come back here. We still need to find out more about Ginjo," his father interjected.

Ichigo stared back at everyone with a blank look for a few moments. "Aa, I know." His mind suddenly flashed back to his battle with Ginjo and Tsukishima before everyone arrived. "How are Inoue and Chad? They were still under the influence of Tsukishima."

Everyone shifted uncomfortably. "They're still out." Urahara-san replied. "The rest of your friends and family seemed to have forgotten Tsukishima after Captain Kuchiki beat him." Urahara-san glanced at the Captain then back at Ichigo. He narrowed his eyes. "So far, they seemed to be out of his influence. We just need to keep a close eye on them for now." His father and Urahara-san exchanged a knowing look.

_As long as they don't remember that guy_. Inwardly, he grimaced at the memory of his battle with Tsukishima using his friends to fight against him. _There have been enough bonds messed with. _He spared a quick glance at Rukia. Wearied from thinking about Tsukishima, Ichigo asked, "What are we going to do now?"

"We're going to head back first," Toushiro answered. He leaned against Ichigo's bedroom door. "Lieutenant Kuchiki will escort you to the Soul Society once you're ready."

Everyone stared at Rukia then at Ichigo. She stood there motionless. She mirrored her brother's infamous cold expression perfectly. Her brother furrowed his brow as he looked at her with concern. Her face gave no reaction or awareness of everyone's attention on her and Ichigo. After a moment of awkward silence, everyone started to leave.

"Well then, we'll see you soon," Renji said to Ichigo. As he followed after his captain, he put a hand on Rukia's shoulder and gave her a smile. She looked up at him startled but she smiled back at him.

Ichigo churned inside. _It's just Renji. They've always been close. _However, their interaction just now bugged him.

"Hey! How long you going to sit there for, get back in your body!" A sudden slap to his back had Ichigo almost falling out of his bed courtesy of his father. "Don't worry. You'll have time to talk to her later," he whispered quietly. His father looked at him sympathetically before kicking him off the bed. "Now, hurry up and get ready!"

"Ow! Okay, I'm still injured here, you stupid old man!" Ichigo yelled back. It wasn't time he worried about. He was angry and hurt by what Rukia did to him. He doubted she would give them the chance to go back to what they were before she had erased his memory. Never mind even acknowledging what was going on between them. He was afraid that remembering would just make him lose her all over again causing more pain for both of them. _No, I won't let that happen. I refuse to let what happened between us go. I'll just have to convince her._

"Nii-chan," his twin sisters voiced at once, interrupting his thoughts.

"Hey. I'm sorry I worried you guys," he said softly once he was back in his body. They stared at him for a few moments. Then in response, they rushed forward and hugged him.

"Ichigo, we need to get going," Rukia said from the far corner of his room. She smiled gently at the two younger girls hugging Ichigo. "Hurry up, or I'll leave you to go on your o-" Rukia eyes widened and she abruptly ended her sentence. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air.

"Rukia-neechan!" Yuzu piped up. "Could you help me with dinner downstairs?" She glanced at Rukia and her brother. "I know you guys have to leave soon, but I want to make something for you two to take with you before you both leave."

Rukia smiled at her appreciatively. "Sure." Without looking back at Ichigo she left his room with Yuzu. Karin followed after them with a quick look at Ichigo.

Isshin looked at him as he got up to leave Ichigo's room. He placed his hand on Ichigo's shoulder again and said, "Give her some time. Give yourselves both some time. Things will go back to normal."

"Yeah...I know. Thanks, Pops," Ichigo answered. After his father left, he laid back down on his bed, placing an arm over his eyes. He winced in pain from the bruises Rukia gave him from where she'd kicked him earlier. _She hits just as hard as she ever did_. _Maybe harder_.

"Normal, huh? Whatever that means."


	3. Normal

Thank you **Ralmidaz**, **teshichan**, **Kaze05**, **OnepieceX3**, **SilverStella **for your reviews. I also appreciate all of you who have taken the time to read my story and those who decided to add me to their story and/or favorite author alert. You guys are awesome! I will continue to do my best. Please continue to read and review! -_-Y

Again, I want to acknowledge and thank DameM for her help. You are an amazing beta!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Mr. Tite Kubo et al owns it.

Normal

"Captain Kuchiki!" Renji yelled.

Byakuya Kuchiki stopped walking and turned around. "Renji, please refrain from being so loud. We don't want to disrupt all of the Seireitei," he replied calmly. Byakuya had finished reporting to the soutaicho about his fight with Tsukishima and wanted to head back to his division as quickly as possible. He felt uneasy whenever he thought about his battle with Tsukishima. Byakuya's head started to hurt. He turned back around from Renji and continued walking toward the division's barracks.

"Yes, Captain Kuchiki. Uh, sorry..." Renji said sheepishly. "How did the meeting go? Did Soutaicho say anything more about the previous Substitute Shinigami?"

Byakuya paused before responding, "We don't know if he really disappeared into Hueco Mundo. Captain Kurotsuchi will be sending a group into Hueco Mundo again for _more_ research so they will make a sweep for Kugo Ginjo. We are to find out more about their organization Xcution before formulating a plan."

"What about that girl? The one with the toy gun? She definitely would have information about that organization, "Renji asked. "Have they questioned her yet?"

"She said she won't say anything till she speaks with Ichigo Kurosaki. There's no harm in having her speak to him but we'll still send her to be questioned by Squad Two," Byakuya replied. "We have time at the moment. The soutaicho will call us to a meeting once Ichigo Kurosaki returns to the Soul Society." _With Rukia__, _Byakuya thought_. _

Byakuya quickly frowned with concern. However distant and indifferent Rukia may look like to others, she seemed very happy to see Ichigo Kurosaki again. She also looked conflicted and pained. He wasn't sure what happened between those two and as much as he trusted and respected Rukia with that brat, he rather not find out. _I just might kill him_. Although killing Ichigo Kurosaki would be against what they were all trying to do, help Ichigo get his powers back and stabilized. Byakuya was aware of the last time she came back from the human world. Rukia nearly broke apart in front of him when he asked her about her mission. He was almost grateful for her promotion. It gave her something else to put all of her focus on. He was proud of her achievements and the Seireitei needed strong leadership, but it took everything he could muster to have her accept such a dangerous appointment. And now that Ichigo Kurosaki was back, he could already see Rukia's guarded demeanor unravel.

"Uh...Captain Kuchiki?" Renji asked. "About Rukia..."

Brought out from his thoughts, Byakuya looked at Renji then at their division's door that they'd walked passed. Swiftly, he turned back around. "She is a very capable Shinigami and the lieutenant of the thirteenth squad. She can manage herself. There's no need for concern," he replied.

Renji almost rolled his eyes. _You're just as concerned __as I am__! _Renji thought, exasperated. He noticed his captain constantly lost in thought about Rukia, especially lately. _That girl, causing all of us to worry._ He sighed and decided to abandon the conversation, following his captain quietly instead.

* * *

><p>Ichigo ruffled his hair with both his hands with frustration. <em>Ahhh! This is so awkward! Why is it so hard to do this? I <em>_would_ _rather she kick me again then go through this!_ Ichigo glared at Rukia as she smirked back at him evilly.

"What's wrong Ichigo? What did you say earlier about opening a Senkaimon being a piece of cake and that it would be simple for someone of _your_ caliber?" Rukia asked, laughing with a haughty expression that would put even Byakuya to shame.

"No one ever said there was a trick to opening a Senkaimon!" Ichigo yelled back trying to catch his breath. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead from his attempts. He'd never heard of having to do anything but thrust his Zanpakutou forward to open a Senkaimon. "Why the heck do we have to do it this way? Why won't you just open it? You're messing with me! Why can't we just use one of those Hell Butterflies? " he asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Oh, ho. Are you ready to apologize? Admit defeat?" Rukia asked, not fazed by his suspicions. She'd purposely left out that a command was also needed to open the Senkaimon. "And for calling me a midget," she tacked on at the end.

Ichigo gave a huff of resignation and replied, "Fine, I admit defeat _for now_, but I refuse to apologize for calling you a midget!" That earned him a swift kick behind his knees and he toppled over hitting his face on the cement.

Rukia stared down at him with a smile and yelled, "Idiot! Now is not the time to be—" Her response was soon cut off as two Hell Butterflies floated towards him as the Senkaimon opened for them.

"Ahh! You _were_ messing with me!" Ichigo yelled, indignant.

"Shut up! Let's go. We're taking too long as it is!" Rukia said without confirming or denying his accusation. She gave him one last smile before walking through the Senkaimon.

Ichigo dusted off his shihakusho as he got up. He chuckled with amusement at the interaction that just happened between them. This was going a lot better than he thought, almost normal to how they were before things got complicated. He thought he was going to die from the awkwardness between him and Rukia after that uncomfortable exchange in his room and then as they waited while Yuzu finished packing a bento full of rice and curry for them. He decided to put his hurt feelings aside for now and just focus on being able to talk to each other normally again. _Good thing I made that comment about her height. It never failed to annoy her, _he thought. The comment about opening a Senkaimon just slipped out as they bantered with each other. She never could resist putting him in his place if given the chance. He smiled. That was why he was now sporting _more_ bruises courtesy of a petite purple-eyed Shinigami than he had been before.

Ichigo looked at the petite Shinigami walking through the Senkaimon and blushed. He also thought of commenting and teasing her about her new hair style, which he liked, to get a rise out of her. However, he soon found his train of thought going in a completely different direction. He remembered the time they were by the river. The wind was blowing hard and he had gently slipped his fingers through her hair to remove a piece stuck between her lips. He remembered her surprised expression and how his hand had frozen in place before he brushed her hair to the side. Ichigo could still feel the warmth of her soft face as he traced her checks his fingers. And how she'd allowed him to bring her face closer to his…

Blushing madly, he forced himself to stop thinking about the past. It also reminded him of how hurt he was about the memory wipe. _No, I need to focus on the _now_. I've waited seventeen months to see her...well...kind of seventeen months. I can wait a little bit longer to talk to her about what happened between us, _he told himself. He was still a little confused about the timeline now that he had his memory back_. _He smiled at the image of her annoyed expression from their interaction earlier. Ichigo sighed. There was still a chance for them; especially judging by her reaction from earlier when their hands bumped into each other. Ichigo blushed again. He ran his hands through his hair again but pulled with frustration. _Being with her like this is going to kill me_. A sudden yell from Rukia to hurry up snapped him out of his thoughts and he ran to catch up to her. "At least I can see her again," he whispered as he ran toward her.

* * *

><p>"When is Lieutenant Kuchiki coming back?" a thirteenth squad member asked. "I thought we were going to have training today."<p>

Another squad member teased back, "Why, so you can get your butt kicked again by our lieutenant who's half your size?" This caused a lot of laughter from the other squad members as they rested in their barracks.

"What's so funny?" asked a warm friendly voice through the courtyard. A Captain with long white hair walked toward them. Next to him stood a tall, red-haired Shinigami with a serious but calm expression on his face. His shoulders were broad. The colors of his eyes were dark gray and shone with sadness. He had centuries of experience, but his face looked no older than the captain next to him. Dark red hair stood out wildly in all directions and a shield made from a hollow mask hung behind his back near his Zanpakutou.

"Captain Ukitake! Ashido Kano-san! Good day!" The squad members greeted.

"Good day." Captain Ukitake responded with a warm smile. "Lieutenant Kuchiki went to the human world on a mission with some of the other captains and lieutenants. We just had a joint meeting at the first division. She was right behind me. She should be here soon."

Ashido Kano looked at his captain and said, "Lieutenant Kuchiki is also bringing the Shinigami daiko here, Captain."

Captain Ukitake chuckled. "Yes, she is—" Before he could finish his sentence, he started to cough. Gasping for air and supported by some of the other squad members, he recovered enough from his coughing fit to finish the rest of what he was saying. "Yes, she escorted Ichigo Kurosaki to the Soul Society and she is bringing him here to our division. He will be staying here and we will be training with him as he gets used to his powers again. Of course, training with him will also help all of you get stronger. Make sure to learn from the experience," Captain Ukitake said. He laughed at all of their surprised and excited expressions. Looking over at the man next to him, he said, "Kano-san, we're also counting on you to help out with training. Although you've already done so much while our two third seats are away."

"Captain, I'm glad I'm able to assist." Ashido responded.

Captain Ukitake smiled at the man next to him. He knew about how he had saved and fought along with Rukia Kuchiki in the Menos Forest when she got separated from her group and reuniting her with them. He had also helped them all out of the Menos Forest so they could continue their mission to save Orihime Inoue. After the battle with Aizen, going back to the Menos Forest to search for him was the least they could do. He also had suspicions that one of Ashido's reasons for coming back with them was because of a certain person who was now his lieutenant. Captain Ukitake chuckled to himself.

* * *

><p>Rukia sneezed three times. <em>This is ridiculous. Maybe I'm getting a cold, <em>Rukia thought. She rubbed her nose and looked up at Ichigo next to her. She and Ichigo had just met with the soutaicho and the rest of the captains and lieutenants. They were briefed about the return of Ichigo's powers, the battles, and about the current situation with the Fullbringers. She was pleased at how Ichigo had thanked them all. _He has matured in a lot of ways,_ she thought. Everyone seemed uneasy about that Fullbringer's ability to insert himself into people's pasts. There was also that girl that had requested to speak with Ichigo. Rukia quickly pushed away the creeping and unnecessary feelings of jealousy. She continued to focus on her explanation about her squad. "Currently, our two third seats are out on a special mission so we have someone filling in and covering their responsibilities. You are to stay with us at our division's barracks to train. I'll introduce you to everyone when we get there. Once you're ready we can start training," she said.

Ichigo marveled at Rukia. Ever since they had arrived in the Soul Society, she had put on her "lieutenant face." She carried a grace in the way she acted and spoke in the meeting and towards the other Shinigamis. However, he was slightly irritated and concerned at the way she treated and spoke to him like he was just another new recruit.

"Ichigo! Ichigo, are you listening to me?" Rukia snapped and swung her fist at him.

Ichigo easily dodged her punch. He stared down at Rukia and held back a smile. He couldn't believe he would be relieved that she would try to hit him. "_Lieutenant Kuchiki, _you're so violent. How can you raise a hand a fellow Shinigami? Is this how you treat all your new recruits? What would your captain and squad members say?" Ichigo scoffed at her.

"Wha-? Ichigo, shut up!" Rukia replied, blushing with embarrassment. Before she could continue, both she and Ichigo were shocked silent by a huge explosion from the thirteenth squad barracks. When they arrived with their Zanpakutou ready they stopped and stood silently at the scene before them. Several squad members had tried to prepare firecrackers to welcome Ichigo to the thirteenth squad. Unfortunately, a lot of them were idiots when it came to setting off firecrackers and instead had set some of the barracks and each other on fire. Ichigo watched in amazement as Rukia directed all the guilty culprits to clean up and fix the damage they had created without raising her voice or fist at them once.

"Ichigo-kun!" Captain Ukitake greeted. "Welcome to the thirteenth squad. As you can tell, we are very excited for you to join us. We're not usually this exuberant."

Ichigo sat down on the steps leading into the courtyard and stared at the captain from the shock and also the pain from Rukia's kicks earlier. "Ah...thanks," Ichigo replied.

"Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki-san!" yelled everyone after their captain.

"Aa. Thanks," Ichigo said again. "Ouch!" he yelled after his head was slapped forward.

"What was that?" Rukia yelled. "Everyone just welcomed you. You should introduce yourself then thank everyone."

"Why do I need to introduce myself? Everyone already knows who I am and I did thank everyone just now!" Ichigo yelled back rubbing the back of his head.

Stunned Rukia stared at him for a fraction of second. "Well, you could have been more polite!" Rukia said quickly. The other squad members were more stunned with their lieutenant's behavior towards the Shinigami daiko than she was with his manners.

"Hey, what's their relationship?" whispered one squad member. "They seem rather comfortable with each other and I've never seen Lieutenant Kuchiki act that way before." Other squad members whispered and agreed with each other. Before the gossip got out of hand, their lieutenant quickly recovered and ordered all of them to finish cleaning up or go and get ready for training.

Rukia resisted putting her hand to her face. Instead she just closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. _That was so embarrassing_. "Get ready to train!" she told everyone, recovering her dignity.

Ichigo sweat dropped from the atmosphere of the thirteenth squad members that had gathered to train. They were outside in an open field behind the thirteenth squad's barracks. He had beaten most of the members who were using practice swords. "Um..." Ichigo murmured. "You guys did pretty well," he said as positively as possible. He was holding back but the workout was still helpful. His eyes kept darting over at their petite lieutenant who was talking with a man with red hair. The man had a shield made from a hollow's mask that hung on his back. He had noticed him earlier when everyone greeted him but had as yet had the chance to speak with him. He could have sworn he'd seen that Shinigami before.

"Ichigo-kun," Captain Ukitake said handing Zangetsu back to him. "Thank you for helping our squad members with their training, but now I think it's time that we help you."

"Oh. This has been helping me," Ichigo replied, slightly embarrassed. He put the practice sword down and put Zangetsu back behind his back. It felt good to have his Zanpakutou on him again.

"Idiot. That was just a warm-up for you," Rukia said. "It will help our squad members to see you really fight." Rukia unsheathed her katana.

"Rukia? Wait, what are you planning on doing?" Ichigo asked, slightly alarmed.

"It's true your powers increase when you're protecting someone but you also hold your powers back sometimes, especially fighting against someone you know. We received specific orders to help you overcome that challenge while you get used to your Shinigami powers again," Rukia explained. "Ichigo, prepare yourself. The real training for you starts now."

Ichigo stared in disbelief at Rukia as she walked towards him. "Rukia, stop joking. There's no way I could fight you even if it is for training," he said.

Rukia stared back at Ichigo, her eyes determined and focused. "I know; that's exactly why you must fight me," she replied. She removed any hesitation she had from her heart. She took a deep breath and shouted,

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"


	4. White Moon Piercer of Heaven

Thank you **Raimidaz**, **Kaze05**, and **OnepieceX3 **for your reviews and everyone who chose to read my story. You guys are awesome! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think, especially about the fight scene. -_-Y

Thank you DameM for being my beta. You rock!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Mr. Tite Kubo et al owns it.

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><p>Chapter 4-White Moon Piercer of Heaven<p>

A rush of cold air swirled around Rukia and blew out in all directions. She pointed her released Zanpakutou at Ichigo. Captain Ukitake, Ashido and other thirteenth squad members covered their faces with their arms to protect themselves from the icy wind. They were in an open field near their barracks holding a training session. The field was covered with grass and surrounded by trees.

"Wow, Kuchiki is taking this very seriously," Captain Ukitake stated with a smile. After the Winter War she had worked harder than ever before to improve and hone her abilities. He was proud of his lieutenant. He was curious to see how long she could keep up her cold and business like demeanor fighting Ichigo. This would be good training for both of them. Ukitake found a comfortable spot and sat down to watch their battle.

Ashido sat down next to his captain. He looked at Rukia and the Shinigami daiko. He analyzed their stances. Rukia stood strong and focused. The Shinigami daiko's transition from surprise to serious was instantaneous. His face was no longer surprised but held concern and doubt. A type of energy emanated from both of them. _Just who is Rukia to you―no, who are you to Rukia? _Ashido pondered.

Ichigo stared at Rukia and deepened his scowl. He felt her power and stubbornness course through him as she released her Zanpakutou. There were no words that could convince her otherwise when Rukia was like this. Seventeen months had not changed that about her. He looked down away from her and sighed with resignation.

"Fine, this _is_ just training," he conceded.

"Too slow," Rukia said, completely focused. She was suddenly centimeters away from his face. "First Dance, Tsukishiro."

Ichigo looked up at her in surprise and barely dodged as she slashed her Zanpakutou through the air in front of him. He looked down at his feet and a white circle, like a full moon appeared beneath him. Ice started to form beneath his feet and it quickly climbed up his legs and thighs. Ichigo hit the ice off his legs with his fist and flash stepped away from the white circle. He barely escaped as a pillar of white light shot up and extended into the sky. It froze everything within the circle.

"Rukia, that's dangerous!" Ichigo shouted. "This is supposed to be training! Aren't we just working on stabilizing my powers?"

Ignoring his yell, Rukia flashed stepped behind him and said, "I know, that is why I'm going all out. It would be an insult to you otherwise." Rukia pointed at Ichigo with her index finger and called out, "Way of Destruction No. 4, Byakurai!" A pale blue lightning bolt zapped out toward him. He cursed under his breath. He recalled being hit by this attack when he fought with Byakuya. Ichigo flashed stepped away and rolled sideways along his shoulders. He landed crouched down, one hand ready on his Zanpakutou as Rukia came at him with her pure white sword.

Rukia continued to strike at him. He countered her strikes by grabbing her wrists with his hands and bumping her back with the side of his body as hard as he dared. The force pushed her through the air back toward the trees behind her. She flipped herself in mid-air, planting both of her feet against the side of a tree, her body parallel to the ground. Pushing herself off the tree, she shot back toward Ichigo. Swinging her Zanpakutou at him from the side forced Ichigo to pull out Zangetsu to defend himself. Both were becoming more and more flustered at each other with each hit and parry.

Ichigo allowed himself to be pushed back by Rukia's blade a few more steps. Frustrated by his actions Rukia pushed back even harder. "Fight me! Why won't you fight me? Do you think that I need to be protected by you? I told you before that I can take care of myself? Fight me seriously!" Rukia shouted as Ichigo deflected her blade. He pushed her back but she was unrelenting and continued to hit at him with strength that one wouldn't expect from someone her size.

"I am taking you seriously. What's wrong with wanting to protect you?" He shouted back, blocking and pushing against her blade. What he wanted to shout was, "I don't want to hurt you!"

"Do you think I've been sitting around for the last seventeen months? Don't you trust me or my abilities to protect myself? Worry about yourself! Let _us_ protect _you_!" Rukia responded strongly. Old issues were rising to the surface.

Ichigo's mouth dropped open in surprise. _She thinks I don't trust her? She wants to protect me? _He recalled a distant memory in Las Noches. Rukia had suggested splitting up. Ichigo had refused and tried to talk Rukia into sticking together. He remembered how Renji had stood in front of Rukia in defense. _Drop it. It is insulting to a soldier when you worry about protecting them on the battlefield, _Renji's voice echoed in his head.

Rukia continued, "You're always getting yourself hurt!" Ichigo dodged a close call by her blade. "Don't you understand how much it hurts the people that care about you when they see you get beaten to a pulp? How do you expect yourself to protect others when you can't even fight to protect yourself?"

"I do _not_ get beaten into a pulp, Rukia! Give me more credit than that! I protect myself just fine." Ichigo yelled back. The training was pushing Ichigo and Rukia to the brink of losing emotional control.

"You should be able to fight at your full potential all the time and not just when you are protecting others. Don't fight out of despair. The cost is too much," Rukia said, her voice barely above a whisper. She struck again at Ichigo's blade and tried to get her emotions under control.

"Rukia," Ichigo whispered. He looked into her eyes filled with concern and pain. He felt her breath panting against his face as she fought against the strength of his blade. He thought of his family and friends. He recalled all of their faces when he fought to protect them and how he couldn't when he lost his powers. He thought of his Fullbring training. Ginjo had brought Inoue to heal him and then held her captive while they fought. Why did Ginjo have to bring his friends in to make him stronger, to force him to fight? He looked at Rukia and thought of her concerned face after he and Ishida lost against Ginjo. Rukia was right. He needed to get his powers under control and to be able to fight without holding back. He had his powers back again. He could protect his friends and family again.

"Never mind all of this. I will just have to force you to take this seriously." Rukia said. She gathered herself together and brought her concentration back in focus.

"You mean, hit me continuously to get your point across like always?" Ichigo replied, smirking at her last remark. "Fine, if you want me to fight you seriously, then I will." He unleashed a slash with Zangetsu with full force.

Rukia raised her eyebrows in surprise. She yelled out in pain as the force of Ichigo's attack threw her back. She defended herself against most of the blast by blocking with her blade, but the force of the attack eventually knocked her Zanpakutou out of her hands and she fell to the ground. She skidded long and hard on the ground before finally stopping. Her back burned from the friction.

"Rukia! Are you okay?" Ichigo yelled. Shocked and scared that he might have seriously hurt Rukia, he ran toward to where she was. He began to doubt if he should really fight her with full force.

Rukia stood up and wiped the dirt and blood off her split lips and face. With a slight smile she put her hands together and created a yellow rope like cord from her spiritual energy. It swirled around her hands like an electric snake. She pointed her hands at Ichigo and shouted, "Way of Binding No. 4, Hainawa!" The yellow cord shot out like lightening toward Ichigo and quickly wrapped itself around him, binding his arms against his body.

"Are you serious?" Ichigo yelled as he tripped and fell to the ground. Zangetsu was knocked out of his hands. Ichigo pushed and struggled against the entangling rope of energy. With his arms bound to his body, he rolled on the grass like a log toward Zangetsu that was now sticking straight up from the ground. He jumped up and hopped toward his Zanpakutou. Exerting all his strength, he cut it with Zangetsu like it was a real rope.

Freed from the energy rope, he placed Zangetsu in front of him flat side facing out across the front of him in time to block more of Rukia's strikes with her blade. Blocked by his Zanpakutou, Rukia kicked off of Zangetsu with both feet into the air. While flying upwards he heard her chant, "_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens." _She put her right hand forward; palm faced at Ichigo and shouted, "Way of Destruction No. 73, Soren Sokatsui!" Two streams of bright blue fire shot from Rukia's palm. The massive spiritual energy scorched the grass on the ground as it fired toward him.

Eyes wide in disbelief, Ichigo grunted as he tried to dodge and block with Zangetsu the double shots of blue fire. The blue bursts of spiritual energy flew by his face. The incredible kido attack scorched the left sleeve of his shihakusho and a couple strands of hair before the two streams of massive spiritual energy collided into the innocent trees behind him. The trees exploded on impact throwing pieces of wood and splinters everywhere. It forced him to cover his eyes. _What's with all the kido she's using? That could have killed me! She's trying to kill me, _Ichigo thought as wood chips rained down on and around him cutting his exposed skin. All doubts of fighting seriously with Rukia flew out the window. He really could not afford to hold back when fighting her or he really could die. When he could finally see, Rukia had recovered her Zanpakutou and readied her next attack.

"Next dance, Hakuren!" Rukia shouted. A huge powerful wave of ice flew toward Ichigo. The wave was larger than he remembered. He looked at the huge wave of ice and focused all his spiritual powers on Zangetsu. "Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo shouted. A light blue crescent moon pierced through the sky like a wave. It was much bigger than before with the return on his powers. It shattered and broke most of the very large wave of ice in a great explosion. The ice he missed hit the right side of his body. His Zanpakutou, right hand and arm were frozen and encased in ice. He looked at Rukia and with his other hand broke the ice off his arm and Zanpakutou. His eyes glowed blue as he focused his spiritual energy for another attack. Rukia did the same. She brought her Zanpakutou up above her right shoulder, pointed it at Ichigo and readied her next attack.

He smiled, blood rushing fast and hot through his veins. This fight with Rukia was exhilarating. She stared back, mirroring his smile and feeling the same rush. In that moment, they reaffirmed their respect for each other. Like when they first met, they knew they could completely trust and depend on each other, both on and off the battlefield. Suddenly, Ichigo and Rukia were pulled back to reality by cheers from the remaining squad members that weren't blown away. Pieces of ice and wood littered the training field. Patches of ground smoldered from Rukia's demon arts.

"Ichigo-kun and Kuchiki! Good job, but I think both of you better visit the Fourth Squad," Captain Ukitake said, walking towards them. "We will have to make sure you train with Kuchiki on a regular basis," he said to Ichigo. He chuckled as he looked around the damaged and smoldering field around them. He walked off and requested some of the squad members to clear the field of debris the best they could. Ashido looked at them and nodded before following the captain without uttering a word.

Ichigo looked at Rukia and their eyes locked. A type of energy he couldn't explain sizzled between them. If this was how it felt after training together with Rukia, then he wouldn't mind training all day with her.

"You look like crap, Ichigo." Rukia said, laughing at his stunned expression. Before he could retort back, Rukia tripped on a large piece of wood and fell. Somehow she managed to remain graceful even if her backside was sprawled over the dirt floor. Ichigo extended his hand to Rukia to help her up. He saw her take a quick breath when she grabbed his hand.

"Heavy," Ichigo said, trying to district himself from her touch. He easily pulled Rukia's petite and slender figure up to a standing position. His remark earned him a hit to his shins. It was his turn to fall to the ground.

"Serves you right," Rukia mumbled, very annoyed at his comment. _Maybe I've been eating too many sweet dumplings,_ Rukia thought. She grabbed her stomach with concern.

They walked in comfortable silence back to the thirteenth squad barracks, intent on heading to the fourth squad to have their wounds healed. As they walked into the courtyard other squad members bombarded them. Ichigo knew they were just being friendly and supportive, but there was only so much he could handle. He winced in pain as various members hit his shoulders, back or arms complimenting his fighting skills. He was about to shout back at them to stop when other squad members screamed warnings at everyone while running through the courtyard. Before anyone could register what was going on, the remaining firecrackers from the earlier welcoming party flew and exploded all over the courtyard. Ichigo grabbed Rukia and pushed her to a far corner wall away from the explosions and covered her body with his to protect her.

Rukia stood frozen against the wall. She couldn't believe those idiots caused more damage. She was going to ban firecrackers in their barracks. Hearing a muffled chuckle, she looked up at Ichigo. His face was red from holding back his laughter. "This is so ridiculous! Your squad is hilarious!" Ichigo said. Rukia blushed. She smiled up at him in surprise. It was really rare to see him laugh or smile. All the tension and stress seemed to vanish. Warmth radiated from him and she felt safe. As that thought passed her mind, Ichigo's scowl suddenly returned. He realized both his arms were on both sides of her. His body still covered hers closely and protectively against the wall. He immediately pulled away from her.

Rukia quickly grabbed Ichigo's shihakusho with both her hands and pulled him back toward her. Ichigo gasped in surprise. "Rukia?" Ichigo asked. Shocked, Rukia pushed him away again. "We better head to Squad Four before more things explode," Rukia said, her face red from her actions. She realized how close he was still to her and started to walk away from him as fast as she could to hide her embarrassment and confusion.

"Why are you always running away, Rukia?" Ichigo asked seriously from behind her.

She stopped and turned her head slightly back at him. Before either of them could continue, they were interrupted and startled by a loud voice. "Hey Rukia, Ichigo!" Renji yelled. Ichigo and Rukia stared back at Renji. Both were too emotionally spent and were unable to react to any more surprises. Renji stopped short in front of them, a little taken aback from their reaction toward him and their appearance. "What happened?" Renji asked, eyeing all of their wounds. Ichigo's arm was bleeding from being frozen and cut from Rukia's attacks earlier. Some of his hair and sleeves on one side were scorched. Rukia had dried blood and dirt smeared across her face and she favored one of her legs. A bruise was forming under one of her eyes.

Ichigo looked over at Rukia and pointed, "It's all her fault for being so rough," he said.

At the same time Rukia pointed at Ichigo and said, "Idiot can't control his power." They looked quickly back at Renji and started to walk away from him toward the fourth squad.

Renji quirked an eyebrow at both of them and followed them quietly. "Uh huh," Renji replied. He watched as Ichigo shouted at Rukia about how she was the one that asked him to fight her for real. Rukia responded by hitting Ichigo's already hurt arm causing it to bleed more. Renji smiled. _What's this? They're getting along just fine, _he thought. Renji glanced at Rukia's injuries and frowned. Ichigo noticed Renji's look and tried to defend himself again but Renji interrupted him by putting a hand on his shoulder. He put his face close to Ichigo, stared him straight in the eyes and said very seriously, "You can say that to Captain Kuchiki when he sees Rukia's current condition. He wanted to speak with both of you."

Ichigo almost tripped forward from Renji's words. He shuddered at the thought of what Byakuya would do to him when he finds out Rukia's injuries were caused by him, even though they were from training. _I don't want to die yet, _he thought.

"Let's hurry up and get going to the fourth squad, Rukia!" Ichigo said loudly. He started to walk faster. Both Renji and Rukia sped up after him. Renji coughed to cover his amusement. "Why are you here anyway?" Ichigo asked, looking at Renji with a "_Don't you dare tell Byakuya about Rukia's injury"_ look.

"I'm on my way back to the sixth squad from the ninth. Shuuhei-sempai was bugging us to turn in our article for the _Monthly Seireitei Bulletin_." Renji responded, rubbing the back of his neck. He pretended not to understand Ichigo's look and stifled his laughter as he watched Ichigo's attempt at charades to get his meaning across to him. He glanced at Rukia's confused face. "Also, Captain Kuchiki wanted me to remind Rukia, if I see her, about the event that will be held at the Kuchiki Manor."

"Event?" Ichigo asked. "What event?"

"Idiot, we're throwing a celebration party at our place and it's not just for you so don't get a big head. Nii-sama probably wanted to talk to you about it." Rukia said very fast, face blushing.

"Call it whatever you want Rukia, but Ichigo's definitely a big part of the party too." Renji said, with a knowing smile. He patted Rukia on the back, causing her to wince in pain.

"A party, huh, are there going to be firecrackers?" Ichigo asked, keeping his voice normal as possible.

Rukia responded with a smile. "Idiot."

* * *

><p>Riruka Dokugamine was lying on a couch on her stomach, squinting with her eyes at some monthly bulletin about the stupid Soul Society in her uncomfortable and ugly cell. <em>This is not what I called being treated like a guest. Stupid Ichigo Kurosaki. I <em>still_ won't say anything till I speak with you. What's taking you so long? _Sure the other dumb Shinigami tried to get her to talk and talk she did. She talked about her cute and favorite things. She'd talk until they'd left frustrated. _Stupid people, they have no sense of cuteness_, she thought with a smile.

"Oh? It's good to see that you can still smile when you're in a situation like this," a voice said. Riruka Dokugamine looked up at the intruder and shook her magenta pigtails around to mask her surprise.

"Did you at least bring me sweets...Tsukishima?"


End file.
